“Daughter, Sister, Mother, Photographer”
After some thirty years in finance, it was time for a change. I had always loved photography and like most parents, I had documented the children and the holidays on film and digital.
The push came when an opportunity to take redundancy was offered. This gave me time to think about my options and after some thought, I enrolled into the local college to take photography qualifications. From this, I refreshed my basic understanding that I had learnt during my early education years. And now everything was digital!
I was brought up in Tanzania where my dad often took photos of wildlife during holidays. In those days, every holiday meant safari breaks. Christmas and Easter breaks fell during migration after the rains had been making the savannah lush. I recall some things; mainly the vehicle getting stuck in the mud and crossing rivers swollen with rainwater. But what I remember most vividly is the numbers of wildebeest as far as the eye could see and very large herds of elephants. I visited some years ago and it’s not the same.
I fell easily into wildlife photography and my mum gave me the love of flowers. It’s the colour variation, the scent, the intricate and elaborate petal shapes that I love. During my NCFE Level 2 course I expanded on close-up photography to Macro photography. This gave me a new mode of capturing flowers.
I also decided to give back to the community and so begun my volunteering with the RSPB. My nearest reserve is Wallasea Island where I have actively been volunteering for four years. This involvement has taught me a huge amount. There is a distinct lack of large wildlife in England, but we do have an abundance of bird life. My coastal position lends to migratory birds very easily. Here I am, full circle, relying on the migration of wildlife. The community within this small team of volunteers has allowed me to learn to identify by sight and sound, lots of birds. However, I am nowhere near the skill set that my colleagues have by any means; they have been observing birds for a lifetime. I can get by, but more importantly, I appreciate these amazing creatures that fly from far off places to winter or summer in England.
For the longest time I was told to concentrate on one form of photography, but I love taking photos and I love nature. I have learnt that I don’t have to stick to just one. I can appreciate landscape and waterfalls and am able to take long exposure shots. The stars and the moon also fascinate me, so I would love to learn more about Astro photography.
I am on an adventure to photograph flora and fauna whether it’s at home or abroad, why don’t you tag along, I’d love the company.